This Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is packed with flavor from balsamic caramelized onions, crumbled bacon, Manchego cheese, and spinach. The whole thing is rolled up and grilled until the pork is juicy and the cheese is nice and melted.
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is an amazing way to amp up a simple cut of meat. Pork tenderloins are incredibly tender, since they are essentially the filet. Because there is very little fat in a tenderloin, it is perfect to stuff with all sorts of tasty things to bring in both moisture and flavor.
I sprinkled my stuffed pork tenderloin liberally with my Award-Winning Chicken Seasoning. This blend is bold with a little bit of heat, making it the perfect complement to the layers of flavor within the filling. The seasoning also allowed me to grill this particular pork tenderloin quickly over Medium-High heat (around 375 degrees F) and get a nice smoked flavor in under 30 minutes.
If you don’t have any of my Chicken Seasoning on hand, you can use this recipe for my Lemon Herb Chicken Seasoning. And for an additional layer of flavor, you could smoke the stuffed pork tenderloin at 225 degrees F for about an hour. It would be absolutely delicious!
How to Prepare Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Making stuffed pork tenderloin takes a bit of extra time, but you’ll quickly see it was well worth the effort (just scroll below to the comments to see what other folks are saying about this amazing meal!).
- Remove the fat. Start by removing any excess fat or silverskin from the exterior of the tenderloin.
- Butterfly the tenderloin. Working on a large cutting board, butterfly open your tenderloin by running a sharp knife about 1/2 an inch above the bottom side of the tenderloin. Keep your knife at a parallel 1/2 inch above the cutting board as you essentially unroll the tenderloin until it is flat and even.
- Stuff the pork! Spread on some softened cream cheese and add a layer of Manchego cheese. The Manchego cheese melts nicely and has the perfect bite. (You could also substitute with an extra sharp white cheddar if you don’t have access to Manchego). Spoon on some fresh spinach, the sweet and tangy balsamic caramelized onions, and crispy bacon pieces. (Instructions for cooking these are detailed in the recipe card below). These flavors together are dynamite!
- Roll and secure. Starting with the inside edge of your tenderloin, roll tightly until it looks like a slightly bigger version of the tenderloin you started with. Tie off every couple of inches with butcher’s twine.
- Season! Sprinkle the outside of the stuffed tenderloin liberally with my Signature Chicken Seasoning or Lemon Herb Seasoning.
How to Cook Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Once your tenderloin is prepped and ready to go, cooking the stuffed pork tenderloin is a breeze!
With your grill preheated to Medium-High heat, place the tenderloin directly on the grill grates. Close the lid, and cook for approximately 20-30 minutes. Make sure to turn the tenderloin every 5 minutes to ensure it cooks evenly.
Once the meat is fully cooked, remove it from the grill, and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes. You’re then ready to remove the twine and slice the pork into 1-inch thick rounds to serve.
How Long to Cook Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
With your grill preheated to Medium-High heat, it will take approximately 20-30 minutes to cook this pork over indirect heat. Keep a reliable meat thermometer handy. (I wouldn’t dream of cooking any meat without using my ThermoWorks Mk4 to help monitor temperature as I go).
Remove the pork tenderloin when the internal temperature of pork has reached 145 degrees F. Make sure to cook to temperature and not to time to ensure your meat is cooked through and safe to consume.
Can I Cook Stuffed Pork Tenderloin in the Oven?
If you don’t have access to a grill, you can still make this recipe using your oven!
Follow the same steps outlined above to prepare your stuffed pork tenderloin. Next, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, place your pork in an oven-safe dish, and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reads 145 degrees (make sure to take this temperature in the thickest part of the meat.
Remove the tenderloin from the oven, rest for 5 minutes, and serve!
More Pork Tenderloin Recipes
Pork tenderloin is a great cut of meat to cook in your grill or smoker. If you liked this recipe, you’ll love these other delicious tenderloin recipes from Hey Grill Hey:
Smoked Pork Tenderloin
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Beer and Mustard Glaze
Grilled Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin Stuffed with Apples
Best Stuffed Pork Tenderloin Recipe
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Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Ingredients
- 1 1 1/2 pound pork tenderloin silverskin removed
- 1-2 Tablespoons Award-Winning Chicken Seasoning
- 2 slices thick cut bacon diced
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 3 oz manchego cheese grated
- 1/2 cup baby spinach leaves
Balsamic Caramelized Onions
- 1 large red onion cut into rings
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Preheat a 9 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon pieces are crisp. Remove the bacon pieces to a paper towel to drain and leave the bacon fat in the pan.
- Make the balsamic caramlized onions. Add the butter and the sliced red onions to the empty skillet. Cook for about 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions have darkened considerably in color. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.
- Remove the fat from the tenderloin. Place the pork tenderloin on a large cutting board. Remove any excess fat or silverskin from the exterior of the tenderloin.
- Butterfly the pork. Butterfly open the pork tenderloin by using long strokes of your knife along the side of the tenderloin about 1/2 inch above the cutting board. Keep the slices parallel to the cutting board and roll open the tenderloin while slicing.
- Stuff the tenderloin. Spread the softened cream cheese on top of the butterflied tenderloin. Sprinkle with the shredded manchego cheese, caramelized onions, baby spinach leaves, and bacon pieces.
- Fire up the grill. Preheat your grill to Medium-High heat (about 375 degrees F) for two-zone cooking (one indirect heat side of the grill, one direct heat side). You can also cook this in your oven at the same temperature.
- Roll and secure. Starting with the edge of the pork tenderloin that was the inside (before slicing open) begin tightly rolling the tenderloin back up. It's okay if there are a few casualties that fall out the sides while rolling. Tie the roll together with butcher's twine every inch to inch and a half until the roll is nice and bound. Season the pork tenderloin liberally with the Chicken Seasoning.
- Grill the tenderloin. Place the stuffed pork tenderloin directly on the grill grates on the indirect heat side of the grill. Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the tenderloin is 145 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat. Turn the pork tenderloin every 5 minutes while cooking.
- Rest and serve. Remove the tenderloin from the grill. Allow it to rest at least 5-10 minutes before removing the butcher's twine, slicing the tenderloin into 1 inch thick rounds, and serving.
Video
Nutrition
**This post was originally published July 2018. We recently updated it with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Looks great
This looks great, and I love to butterfly and stuff. I also butterfly chicken breasts and stuff. YUM.
Could you bake it in the oven instead? What temp and how long?
You can follow the same time and temperature instructions as the written recipe and bake in the oven.
Can you do this in the oven
Of course. You can follow the same time and temperature instructions as the written recipe.
I tried this recipe and it was great. I recommend you try it at least once. You’ll love to serve it to company and you’ll be proud because it’s different. Enjoy it, and your family will love it, too. Bye Joy
A yway you can provide the macronutrients data for this? It was anazing! Mine came out perfectly pink and moist with delicious flavor. Love the combination of the caramelized balsamic onions with cream cheese and spinach. I used a sliced Rubiano medium cheddar cheese and it worked beautifully and tasted delicious.
Thanks so much for your feedback and review, I’m so happy you liked this. Sorry, I don’t have the macronutrient values for this one.
This is a wonderful recipe. Mine came out perfectly as well. I substituted arugula and spinach mixture…also pepper jack cheese and I upped the bacon to four slices.
My packaged 1 1/2 # pork loin came in two pieces, which surprised me. I butterflied them both then rolled them together. It turned out great! We gave this a 10 out of 10 points!
Thanks so much for coming back and leaving such a kind review! I’m so happy this turned out so good for you!
That’s actually the way they are normally packaged. Because they are tapered from one end to the other, they pack them reversed. I don’t care for stuffing tenderloins because I love them on their own, so I often season and then tie them together as packaged for even grilling.
Can u taste the spinach when it is cooked
I don’t think it is an overwhelming flavor in this dish.
This was absolutely amazing. I used fresh grated parmesian. Definately making this again.
If you want to freeze one of these stuffed pork tenderloins, is it better to freeze it before cooking or after?
I would freeze and then cook this one.
Perfectly delicious! This is the 2nd time we make this recipe and the only 2 things that we change was the seasoning (the first time we only had a brisket run and adobo) and the amount of balsamic vinegar (1.5 tbsp to please my balsamic vinegar haters ;p). It is absolutely and by far our favorite recipe for pork tenderloin. I do the seasoning and balsamic caramelized onions w/bacon and hubby does the grilling. It’s juicy, tender and flavorful.
My husband and I made this last night. It was delicious!! All three of our teen boys enjoyed it too. Adding to my list of favorites!
Would this work as well with pork loin roast? Any modifications need done for that?
Works great for a pork loin! The only thing I’d recommend is increasing the time required, as pork loins are thicker than tenderloins.
anyone have a suggestion of a sauce to serve over it?
Balsamic reduction
Is it possible to prepare this dish the night before, refrigerate and then actually grill the next day? We are making 2 and the 4 couples will be playing golf prior to dinner
Sure that would absolutely work!!
Where do you get pork that cooks in 20 to 25 minutes I live in Southeast Georgia
I would talk with the butcher at your local store and ask for a pork tenderloin.
This was delicious. I added saluted mushrooms to it l had forgotten to purchase the spinach.
Fantastic! I’m so glad you liked it!
This recipe looks amazing. I was wondering your thoughts on using Boursin herbed cream cheese or is that too much flavour? I can’t wait to make it.
It sounds alright to me! Give it a try!